Rishi Sunak appeared lost for words when questioned by Piers Morgan about his vast wealth.
The prime minister, considered the richest MP in parliament, has been dogged by suggestions his personal fortune means he is not in touch with voters’ concerns.
In an interview with the TalkTV host on Thursday, Sunak confirmed he was teetotal and never smoked or did drugs, before Morgan asked him then if he was “stinking rich”.
Sunak paused for a long time before mustering: “Well, most people would consider I am financially fortunate, yes.”
“Are you a billionaire?,” Morgan went on later.
“I’m not going to get into that,” Sunak responded. “What matters about that is not how much is in my bank account, what matters are my values and the actions that I take.”
Sunak, a former banker. has an estimated personal wealth of around £200 million.
His family’s finances came under intense scrutiny when he was chancellor, when the “non-dom” status of his wife Akshata Murty was revealed.
The arrangement reportedly saved her millions while the cost of living soared.
The fashion-designer billionaire’s daughter who married Sunak in 2009 is thought to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds and the couple made the Sunday Times Rich List in May, with a combined fortune of £730 million.